good morning and welcome. This is pastor lucy painter with your daily insights. We are talking about battles frontline and one thing we have constantly stressed on is the discipline of warm. We have talked about obedience, following orders, pillage, following strategies and we have said that God sometimes gives us unique solutions because he's a person of God and he understands us in a personal way. And we said on day five, that is last friday of this series, that war is a not of method and discipline. Today. I want us to look at another concept called strategic patience or purposeful in action. Yeah, I said that like in action, we said yesterday that some strategies might work for some situation and for some people, but there are situations that demand a different approach.

You know, there's no such thing as one approach fits all in barrel war is about methods and decisions sometimes being decisive doesn't always mean being swift. Sometimes you need to study a situation and reflect on what needs to be done. You weigh out your options, you think about the possible outcomes and adjust your approach. This is the art of war. And today as we continue to look at the wars, victories and losses of the Israelites under the command of Joshua, we will see why sometimes a change of strategy is important even for us as believers, We're going to read from Joshua chapter 10 verse 1-15 and the Bible says Adani Zeki King of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured and completely destroyed I and killed its king just as he had destroyed the town of Jericho and killed its king.

He also learned that the given night had made peace with Israel and we are now their allies. He and his people became very afraid when they had all this because Gibian was a large town, as large as the loyal cities and larger than I. And the Gibian nights were strong warriors soaking Adonis Zeki of Jerusalem sent messages to several other kings. Ho hum of Hebron, pyramid of Jammu, Jaffe of La Kish and the Beer of Egland. Come and help me destroy Gibian. He arched them for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel. So these five kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibian. The men of Gibian quickly sent messages to Joshua and at at his camp in Gilda. Don't abandon your servants. Now they pleaded.

Come at once, servers, help us. For all the Ameri kings who live in the hill country have joined forces to attack us. So Joshua and his entire army, including his best worries left gill girl and center set out for Gideon. Do not be afraid of them, the Lord said to Joshua, for I have given you victory over them, not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you, Joshua traveled all night from Gil girl and took the Ameri armies by surprise. The Lord drew them into a panic and the Israelites slaughtered great numbers of them at Gibbon. Then the army, the Israelites chased the enemy along the road of Beth Horon, killing them along the way to a zika and Maketa. As the Emirates retreated down the road from birth to Holland, the Lord destroyed them with a terrible hailstone, hailstone from the heaven that continued until they reached a zika, the hell killed more of the enemy than the Israelites killed with the salt.

On the day the Lord gave on that. On that day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Ameri. It's Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel, he said, Let the sun stand still over Gibian and the moon over the valley of Nigel on so the sun stood still and the moon stayed in the place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemy. Is this event not recorded in the book of Joshua? The Son stayed in the middle of the sky and it did not set as on a normal day. There has never been a day like this one before or since. When the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the blood fought for Israel that day. Then Joshua and the Israelite army returned to the a camp at Gil Gle wow, it sounds like an action movie.

What are reading today, yep, you see at this time the Israelites had already been in the Land of Cannon for a good while. They have conquered Jericho. They had taken over. I and Gibian. There is a chapter we have skipped. I add you to just go read about it. Gibian Head surrendered and submitted to them. They became the award cutters and carriers of water. They became their servants. You can find that in the chapter we have skipped. And they had made quite an impression for themselves. And so the king of Jerusalem had a reason to be alarmed. He knew they were soon coming for his kingdom. This were instruments of God's judgment headed straight for him. But King Adonis in his fear rather than surrender in submission to the greatness of the God of Israel. He organized the other kings in reburial. He organized them to launch even more bold attacks on the alley of Israel.

But we see that Joshua did not rush to attack their skins. He must have known that they were rallying their forces to attack them. And perhaps there might have been some, some among the Israelites who wondered why Joshua did order them into battle right away. Why they stood by as their enemies were planning their attack. But Joshua did not make haste. He knew they would have Colonel because the Lord had promised them as it is written in exodus 23 for study. The bible says by little and little. I would drive them out before them until you have increased and inherit the land. Israel had learned to wait upon the Lord. They had come to terms with their dependence on God by waiting. They acknowledged gods of rain control. So they refrained from needless fear and worry. They knew that the Lord rescued them. They knew they could wait for his salvation.

And because the Gibian nights were enjoined with Israel on the basis of their covenant, they cried out for help, reached out to their helpers. They were not too proud to ask for the help of their protectors. These were the people who had made peace with God and joined his people, but their former friends had suddenly become their faults, their enemies, and Joshua was not going to forsake them. He was not going to go back on his vow. Inasmuch as that vow. What came about through deception? No, and so the bible says that he ascended from gil google. He took all the men of war with him. All the mighty men of valor. He set out with great energy with dedication and a sense of honor, to defend one of his own, to defend the honor of a covenant. And how much more should we do the same to the most feeble among us.

How much more must we not stand by as the weak among us are slain when we can prevent it? When we can protect them. And so the word of the Lord says that when a confederation of the five kings was gathered against them and their allies, the Lord commanded Joshua do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand. You know, Fear takes away our strength. It strips us of our ability to fight. And so the Lord commanded Joshua not to fear. And he doesn't just give that command and leave Joshua with nothing else to go on. The Lord gives him a reason why he should not fear. He gives him a promise that he shall win the war that the Lord knows how the battle shall end, Joshua had to believe that the Lord will fulfill his promise. And so with this assurance, Joshua rose and marched from gil google to give you.

He marched all night long. He was willing to take the initiative to partner with God in his work. And because Joshua was willing to be drawn by God into his work, something phenomenal was what was achieved. Something that could not have been mistaken to be something else. Other than a miracle. Their enemy was laid by a hills tall, wow. And I think with nursing the hand of God at work must have inspired such boldness in Joshua because we see him asking for something more. His faith was lifted so high that he believed greater things were possible and he went for it. He asked the Lord to keep the day going to keep the sun from setting until their victory was accomplished. He could have asked the Lord to end the war. He could have asked the Lord for the surrender of the enemy, but Joshua asked for a fighting chance. He asked for an opportunity to prove that indeed God had delivered cannon into his clients.

He asked that God's work would continue without any hindrance that they would fight and triumph and God's name would be glorified. He was willing to execute his resolve and God assisted him in its execution. He should faith and the Lord crowned it with the miraculous arrest of the day and by this victorious proclamation, all the neighboring nation indeed knew that God was working with Israel. This is my prayer and my declaration for you. Today, May the Lord give you the grace to be patient until when it is time to take action. May he give you the grace to wait for his timing a little at a time. He says, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land. Not today, that you can wait upon the Lord, not today that you can count on his salvation.

I pray today that you may learn to fight for those in the covenant of the blood of christ with you with the same dedication and honor that you fight your own battles with. That you may not stand by as a brother is brought down on account of their faith, that you may not stand by and watch as a sister is brought to humiliation. On account of their faith. May we learn to fight for and protect the feeble among us in jesus name, may you receive the assurance today that the Lord knows how the battle you're in shall end. Do not fear for he fights for you, Open your heart so that the Lord may draw you into his work. May the Lord give you a fighting chance. May he give you a chance to fight and triumph until your victory becomes a proclamation by itself? The Lord works with you. May the Lord crown your faith with victory in jesus mighty name Shalom, this is Pastor lucy painter with your daily insights and this is battles frontline day 10.